The Secret
by BatteredandBloodied
Summary: A story about Coraline and a not-so-nice boy...and how Wybie might just risk it all to save her.
1. Chapter 1 PLUS INTRO

The Secret

Intro

My name is Coraline Jones. You'd think I was a normal person, with normal thoughts, and normal things going on with my life. Nothing bad happening to me…

You'd be wrong.

I dread waking up in the morning, but, who doesn't? I have a specific reason though.

And his name is Jason.

One

"Coraline! Time to get up!"

My eyes snap open and my mind feels groggy and slow. _Another morning…woo hoo! _ I sigh and pull myself out of bed. I bend back and crack my back. I slowly trudge to the bathroom. When I finally get there, I undress and throw my clothes on top of the sink's counter. I shove the shower curtain to the side and step in. I slide it back and turn the water heat up to max. The burning of the water feels good on my skin…refreshing, almost. I close my eyes and start shampooing my hair. I go through the routine and in what seems like an instant-I'm on a stupid bus, listening to my music way too loud. The bus pulls into the school and I hop off and open the doors to a brand new day in living hell.


	2. Chapter 2

Two

I walk as slowly as I can through the hallway, getting yelled at and pushed through.

"MOVE IT!"

"Get outta my way, loser!"

I block their words out and still move as slowly as possible. I finally make it down to the hallway…where Jason is waiting for me.

"Heeey...whats up?"

He puts his hand over my shoulder.

"Get off of me!"

_Oh no...please tell me I DID NOT SAY THAT. _

If there was one thing you DEFINITELY didn't want to do...it's get on Jason's bad side. He looks at me with a murderous intent. He grabs my arms and he slams me into a nearby locker. My back is pierced by the handle that juts out and I groan in agony. I want somebody to come and help, but it's like we're invisible. Some people look in concern, while others laugh and scoff. No teachers are nearby, sadly. Jason lowers his voice to an angry whisper.

"You listen to me now...I control you. You can't do anything about it. You will do as I say..."

He takes a pocket knife out of his back pocket and flips it open. He lets it touch my throat. I fight the urge to scream.

"Or I'll cut you up. I don't think you want that..."

I shake my head slowly.

"Then listen to me. Act nice and I'll treat you nice...got it? Good."

He lets go of me and clicks the pocket knife closed. He shifts it back into his pocket. I hold his hand and we start walking down the hallway. I wanna rip from his grip and find a teacher and spill my guts about him and everything that's happened. I was scared that one day it'd get really bad and he might rape me...what was I saying? It was bad already. I didn't want to do anything to make it worse, so I did as he said. We got down to the usual place and we threw our stuff on the ground and we sat down together. I really hated lying to Wybie. He thought we were in a great relationship...if only he knew the truth...

"Hi Wybie!"

He smiles.

"Hey Coraline! Hey Jason!"

"We're going for a long walk tonight...aren't we, Coraline?"

I nod like a stupid robot. It was like a normal routine.

_Lie, agree. Lie, agree. Lie, agree. Truth, beatings. More truth spilled, a new scar._

It was a horrid cycle, but I lived through it. I crossed the truth out of the circle...now it was just a whole bunch of lies. Wybie gives me a funny look.

"Jason...do you mind if I talk to Coraline for a minute?"

"Sure. Go ahead..."

He grudgingly lets go of my hand and he gives me the look...it's riddled across his face.

_"Don't you DARE tell him a thing", _he whispers to me. I swallow hard and nod. Wybie and I walk down to the end of the hall. He looks at me for a long time. The only thing new about his outfit was a single necklace that I had made for him a year ago...I couldn't believe that he still had it.

"Coraline...is something...bad going on between you and Jason?"

I choke on my own breath. My heart screams at me to tell him everything, but my mind tells me not to. I follow my mind.

"No. Everything is going fantastically well. Why do you ask?"

Good god, I was full of crap.

"I don't like him, Coraline. I don't think he's good news at all."

I break away from his eyes and focus on the small hallway. A door was to the right of me, leading to the outside world. The auditorium stage was just behind me and two bathrooms were right in front of me. I saw a little paper hanging on one of the doors.

_Need to talk about something? Come down to room 329 for all your counseling needs! _

Even I knew those were lies. They just write down random stuff on a piece of paper and say all you need to do is have a good cry. Right.

"Coraline...I want to know the truth. Please."

I had no clue what I was going to do.


	3. Chapter 3

Three

Tears swell in my eyes and I stand there. I cross my arms and think of what to do.

_Should I show him the scar...?_

_Should I tell him...?_

_What if it gets worse?_

_I can't let that happen. No matter what._

He comes closer to me and hugs my very tightly. I feel tears coming down my face, and I open my eyes and smile. But out of the corner of my eye, I see him.

Jason's looking right at me. I gasp and I push Wybie away. He has a hurt look in his eyes.

"Wybie, listen. Everything is going fine. You don't have to worry. Jason is a great guy, and I want you to trust me."

That hurt look turns to a fed up one.

"Look, I want to believe you. I really do. But this time, I just don't trust you."

He storms off, and I feel depressed. My heart is screaming at me, asking my why I didn't tell him the truth.

_WHY DID YOU LIE AGAIN?! _

_What were you thinking?!_

_You could've been done with all of this!_

_But you were too worried about it getting worse._

_What a great friend you are._

I close my eyes and rub my temples, trying to stop the thoughts. Jason walks up to me and grabs my hand. I can feel bones being squeezed too hard, but I keep my mouth shut.

"You made the right decision. He doesn't need to know about our...instances."

I nod slowly, feeling as if I'm not there. I feel numb to the world, and I wished I hadn't lied. We walk back out to the main hallway and other kids were swarming to get out. We followed the rest of the pack and somehow, we ended up at our lockers without getting trampled. I clicked through the numbers and opened up my locker. Luckily, Jason's was on the other side and he had to let go of me. Sadly, I shared every single class with him. I wanted to cram myself in the locker and slam it shut, so i wouldn't have to deal with him. I grabbed my science books and headed into Ms. Kelly's class. I threw my books on the desk and sat down, burying my head into my arms. I wanted to cry right there and then, but it was stupid to cry in class. I almost fell asleep, but her voice woke me up. I saw Jason sitting beside me. I sigh and throw my arms off the table and let them hang.

"Ok class. We have a big test today, and you CANNOT retake it."

She glared at the worst student in the class: Me. I had failed almost every test. Not because I didn't study, but because thoughts of Jason kept me from concentrating. Small chuckles and laughter fill the room. The test is pretty big, and I hope that I can actually pass, but I know it's false hopes. She starts passing them out, and I'm the last one to get the test. She walks back to her desk and sits down.

"You have the entire period to complete the test. They must be done by the end of the period, or else you'll have to stay after school. You may begin now. No notes may be used."

I calculated this in my head.

_I have an hour to complete this test..._

_I can do this. Just focus...FOCUS. _

_Don't let thoughts of him let you fail this._

Before I know it, I'm done with the test and the ending bell rings. I get up and hand in my test with the rest of the class and dread the others.

...............

The day seemed to fly by. I was sitting in tutorial before I could even blink. Ms. Kelly looked at me and she asked me to come up to her desk. I shut my math book and walk up, dreading what I'm about to hear.

"Coraline...I need to talk to you. You failed the test...you got only a 45% out of 100%. I want to take you to the guidance councilor. I'll be there too. Please...we need to know if you're having any problems so we can help."

I wanted to scream at her and say there was no way that you could help but I just nod instead. She takes my test and gets up. We walk out the door together and make our way to the guidance office. She opens the door and I sign a little paper, saying I was there at 2:57 PM. We walk into an incredibly cold room and I shiver. We sit down in uncomfortable seats. The guidance councilor looks a lot like my teacher. Dark circles surround her eyes, and she's got long blonde hair. They both have brown eyes and are pretty thin. The only thing different is their outfits. My teacher has a regular shirt with a long and frilly skirt. The guidance councilor has a dress-like thing on. I look at my own clothes. I have a pair of fingerless gloves on, a pair of skinny jeans, and a black and white striped t-shirt. I stare at the table, trying to concentrate on the swirly wood pattern.

"Coraline Jones...please. Is something going on in your life that you need to tell us about? We'll help as much as we can."

I bite my lip so hard that I taste the sweet blood leaking onto my tongue. I couldn't tell them anything, but I knew I was away from Jason. Somehow, his presence was still with me, whispering to me in a harsh voice.

_You're not alone. You never are. I'll always be with you._

_Don't tell them anything, or I'll kill you._

_I promise you that. _

"N-nothing's g-going on...I swear."

They both look at me in disbelief.

"What about that Jason boy?"

I swallow hard.

I was like a mouse stuck in an impossible maze, both ways leading to my destruction. I didn't know what path to take. I chose the one I knew the best.

Lies.


	4. Chapter 4

Four

I sat there quietly and twiddled with my fingers.

"Well? Do you have anything to say?"

_What DO I say? _

_I can't tell them the truth._

_Things will get worse. _

I swallow hard and almost choke on my on air.

"He's an amazing guy, and nobody could ask for more."

Ms. Kelly looks at me strange and the guidance councilor nods slowly.

"Any problems at home?"

I thought about making up a lie.

"Well...no. Not exactly."

Ms. Kelly looks concerned and the guidance councilor presses me.

"What do you mean by 'not exactly'?"

_What the hell have I gotten myself into...?_

I talk quietly and pretend to cry.

"M-my mom she...she tells me I'm worthless and she drinks alot...she doesn't spend rarely any time with me and yells at me for no reason. M-my father beats me sometimes...and he makes me do th-things that a girl my age shouldn't be d-doing..."

They stare in disbelief.

"Ok. We're going to call your parents. You can go now, Coraline."

I nod and get out of there as fast as I can. Now I'm really crying. My parents are paying for something they don't have to...nothing was their fault. It was all mine.

...........

"CORALINE JONES! GET DOWN HERE NOW! WE'RE HAVING A TALK."

I jump in my covers and wrap myself up tighter. Sweat paces down my forehead and my blood runs cold with fear. I throw the covers off and shut off my music. I run a hand through my hair and scratch my scalp deeply. I get out of bed and quietly walk downstairs.

"What d-do you want, mom?"

She stares at me like she's going to cut me up into little pieces.

"Well, I got a call from the guidance office saying that we abuse you. Exactly HOW do we abuse you?"

"You-"

"Shh. I don't wanna hear it. We treat you nicely through all your life, give you clothes, let you dye your hair, let you do basically anything! Why the hell would you lie like that?!"

Tears flow down my face and my mom stamps her foot on the floor.

"Stop crying! This was your fault, Coraline Jones."

I try my best, but the tears keep cascading down. I can't stop them. Memories of Jason hurting me rush back...his whispery voice haunting every thought that inhabits my brain.

_"Don't say anything..."_

_"I love you Coraline..."_

_"We'll be together forever."_

_"This will only hurt a little..."_

_"I love you."_

_"I love you."_

_"I love you."_

Everything began to fade around my eyes. A horrible headache surged through my skull, threatening to make my head explode. I collapse on the floor and feel something warm ooze out of me.

"CALL AN AMBULANCE CHARLIE! HURRY! PLEASE!"

That's all I hear before I completely lose it.

...................


	5. Chapter 5

Five

My eyes slowly open and I see two men standing above me. One is flicking the top of a needle and another is about to place an oxygen mask over my face. I try to speak, but nothing comes out. My vision starts to clear and I see that there's an IV bag next to me and there's a small bench next to me. My parents aren't there. I notice that my shirt got taken off and a mess of blood and puss covers my whole body. The man forces the needle into my stomach and a horrid pain surges through my entire body and resonates through my head. The younger man puts the oxygen mask over my face and their words are mindless mumbles to me. I drift off once more to the sound of screeching tires.

..........

"Coraline...please...give me a sign that you're still alive."

My mom is clutching my hand and running her fingers through my hair. I feel too weak to even open an eye. My lower stomach feels numb and my body aches with pain. I hear my mom sniffling and she pushes her thumb into my palm.

"Please...do something. Anything."

The heart machine beeps rhythmically and I feel only a small bit a strength come back to me. I open my eyes and the light nearly blinds me. I blink a few times and open my eyes completely. My mom's sitting next to me and tears are falling down her face. She smiles slightly and she seems to relax a bit.

"Thank the stars you're okay. What happened that caused you to get that nasty wound...?"

I recall what happened, but I'm too weak to say anything at all. I close my eyes once more and relive that horrid night.

It was later in the day, sometime after the sun had set. Jason had invited me into the forest. I knew I shouldn't have gone, but I had no control. Either I went or there would be dire consequences. I had snuck out and said that I was going for a long walk. I headed off to the woods. It was raining slightly, but I didn't care. I had always loved the way the rain tingled on my skin. The whole place was absolutely misty and I could barely see the ground below me. It was a long way off to the woods, and I kept getting lost. He finally found me, somehow, someway. He slammed me up against a tree and cut me across the belly. I screamed in pain, but it didn't stop there. He pulled down my jeans and my underwear and proceeded to touch me. He kept saying "I love you" over and over again. I had closed my eyes and wished I was somewhere else. Anywhere but there. I didn't want to think of it anymore. I wanted the memory to be gone forever, but it was burned into my brain forever.

"Coraline! What's wrong?"

My mom's voice cuts into my thoughts and I completely forget everything. A horrid pain surges through my brain and I cease to breathe. My eyes snap open instantly and I gasp for air. My mom looks at me in horror and she runs out, yelling for help. There's a whispy face forming in front of me, and my mind forms the rest of the image. Jason is staring at me and his hands are wrapped around my neck as tightly as they can be. He smiles in delight as I slowly black out.

......

The next time I wake up, I'm in my parent's car. We're moving painfully slow and there's a bunch of bumps scattered across the road. I'm in the back, sprawled out with a huge blanket over me. I still feel sick, but not as bad as before. My parents are talking and I listen closely to each of their words.

"Charlie...what are we going to do? She's...she's not in a good...how should I say this...mental condition."

"Honey...our daughter's fine. She obviously needs support. Maybe we should take her to a counselor."

"No. She doesn't need that kind of help. We can help her. And if we do, she may become dependent on the counselor."

"I know...do you think she did that to herself...?"

"...she could have. I really hope she didn't, but she could have. Sadly, I can see our daughter doing that."

"If somebody did that do her, I swear..."

They stop talking and the car is filled with painful silence. I stare out the window and watch the trees pass by. My stomach starts to become sick and I close my eyes, hoping the pain will fade away, but it only becomes worse. I drift back into a restless sleep.

......

"Coraline. Coraline...CORALINE! Wake up!"

I snap awake in the middle of class. It's science, my favorite subject. Ms. Kelly is staring intently at me, trying to see what's wrong by staring at me. Other kids stare at me too.

"Look, you can either pay attention in class, or go out in the hall. What do you want to do?"

Jason stares at me, too. He puts his hand on my leg and rubs it slowly. I knew I had to stay if I didn't want to end up back in the hospital anytime soon.

"I'll pay attention. I promise."

She nods and continues the lesson. I can't even remember what it's about. My notebook and books are sprawled out in front of me and papers are all over the desk. I stuff them all back into my folder and pretend to listen to the teacher. The ending bell rings and everybody scrambles for the door. Ms. Kelly asks me to stay behind for a moment and Jason reluctantly leaves me. She waits until everybody is gone. They're all going to lunch, but I'm not allowed to eat yet because of my surgery. Ms. Kelly comes up to me and hugs me.

"You know I'm here for you...if you need to talk about anything with me, I'll listen to you. I really like you, Coraline. I'm not going to give up on you."

I nod. She lets go and walks off to lunch. She trusts me to be alone in her room, surprisingly. I'm all alone. All of my friends deserted me long ago. Wybie didn't, but he's not in any of my classes. He's been busy lately, too. I feel so alone and pushed down into the ground. I wished I were. I'd rather be in a casket then have to live like this another day. I sit at my desk and sob. I want it all to end. I even want my life to end. I know this can't go on any longer, but I've lost all strength. There's only one thing that runs through my mind.

Why?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

_No. I won't give up. I can't die yet. What happened to the old me? I used to be so strong...  
But now I'm practically nothing. Giving up life? Suicide? NO. I can't let that happen.  
Yes you can. You mean nothing. You ARE nothing. Don't listen to that part of you...think of what would be better...  
_"Stop it, stop it, stop it," I mutter to myself. My head is filled with awful ideas and I'm starting to get an ugly headache. I slam my head on the desk, but that only makes it worse. Blood starts running down my nose and I don't really care. I look up at the ceiling and wish I could burst through and fly away like a newborn eagle leaving it's nest for the first time. The surge of wind pacing through my, my heart beating non-stop, and the burden of all my problems just gone. I close my eyes and think about it for a minute.

"Coraline! Your nose! What happened?"  
Ms. Kelly's voice breaks through my thoughts, making my flinch. I open my eyes and look at her. She's running around trying to find a tissue.  
"Ms. Kelly...they're on your desk. And it isn't even that bad."  
She sighs, grabs the box, and chucks it over onto my desk. I laugh a little and she comes over and sits next to me. I feel awkward and try to get away, but Ms. Kelly grabs my arm.

"Coraline, look at me, please. I don't think you were telling the truth back at the guidance councilor's office. The way you were acting didn't convince me that it was really the truth. Please...tell me, what's actually going on?"  
I look up at the clock and notice it's about fifteen minutes after lunch. _Where the hell IS everybody? _Ms. Kelly obviously notices and tells me that we had an early dismissal today. I slap my hand against my forehead and try to get up, but she grabs my arm again, so I just sit back down.

"Look. I'm not letting you leave until you tell me what's REALLY going on. I promise, I won't tell anybody unless you want me to. And don't think that if you give me puppy eyes or if you come up with some lame excuse that I'm going to let you go." I can tell that she's being serious, and decide that I have to tell somebody before it gets any worse. I really did trust Ms. Kelly and I knew it would be for my own good if I actually told somebody. I let all thoughts of Jason slip from my mind. I took a deep breath and began back to where it all started.

"Ms. Kelly...I don't know if you guessed it, but...this really is about Jason. I met him a while ago in the park. We got along well and we decided to give each other our phone numbers. Everything was great for a while. He'd call once a week and we'd talk for about an hour. And then he told me how he really felt and I knew deep down I really liked him too, so I asked him if he wanted to go out with me. He obviously said yes and it started out great. He'd spend a lot of time with me and buy me things...but...then he got too obsessive. He wanted to know where I was and who I would talk to everyday. He'd always want me to tell him that I loved him. And at one point, I was with my other friend Wybie, and he came over. He got the wrong idea from seeing me with another guy. He drug me out and slapped me really hard across the face. From that point on he began to follow me non-stop. He...he's even...threatened to kill me...and...he's done such horrible things to me...sexual things and s-stuff, you k-know? I-I've never t-told anybody, n-not even W-Wybie...I wish I had. And now I want to kill myself a-and just be over with all of this!"

I start sobbing and Ms. Kelly is crying. She hugs me tightly and I don't do anything. I'd never felt more protected in my life.  
"Coraline, I'll do my best to make sure he never hurts you or does anything to you ever again. I'll remove him from this class right now. I'll even send an e-mail to all of the teachers you have to change your seats if I have to to make sure that he has no chance of doing anything to you. I wish I could've helped sooner and I wish I would've noticed...I'm so sorry, Coraline!"  
We're both sobbing now. But strangely, I feel happy on the inside. I felt free. I had actually told somebody about my problems. And I knew I was one step closer to being absolutely free.  
But I had a really bad feeling that it wouldn't just end there.  
_

The next day at school, I was feeling really happy. Wybie could tell and that made him really happy. I avoided Jason in the morning and sat somewhere else. I was going to start making a change today. I would no longer let that monster control me.  
When I got to first period, Ms. Kelly smiled at me and I nodded back. When I sat down, I immediately pretended to be really distracted by reading my science book. Whenever Jason came into class, Ms. Kelly got up and took him to a table all by himself. I watched in glee. He seemed really pissed off, and It made me even happier that he was. When we got our exams back, Ms. Kelly had even boosted my grade up to a hundred. I was so happy I could've died. I didn't even care that I'd have to deal with him in my next classes.  
_

Blood is slowly gliding down my neck and I can't open my right eye. I think my jaw is about to be broken, and the right side of my head is pulsing with pain. My hands and feet are tied up and my clothes are ripped. I'm in a small room. The room is really poorly lit, but I can still see some details. Jason is staring at me. He's wearing a blood stained shirt, baggy pants, and I think combat boots. He's holding something. The pain becomes too much for me to bear and a single tear falls down my face and I wish it hadn't.  
"What the HELL are you crying about, you lying bitch?" Jason whacks me over the head with a wooden bat once more and I force all tears to stop.  
"Did you think it was funny lying to that god damn teacher? DID YOU?" I shake my head and try to speak, but Jason just screams.  
"I didn't do ANYTHING TO YOU. What are you trying to do, punish me?" Now I knew Ms. Kelly hadn't just kept it to herself. I bet she actually talked to Jason. I really wished she hadn't.  
"So you tell this teacher that I abused you and did "sexual things and stuff" to you and you knew that it wasn't true! You knew you were lying, but you still went on with it, huh?"  
He unties my hands and I try to grab the bat but he slaps them away.  
"Oh no, don't worry. I'm not freeing you." I watch in horror as the bat slams on my hand. I instantly feel bones breaking and bursting through my skin. I start to scream but Jason stuffs a piece of dirty cloth in my mouth. I spit it out and do something I never thought I would.  
"Jason you know well that you're lying to yourself! Just look at what you're doing now! What do you call this, a stupid game? Playing with me? This is ABUSE. I shouldn't have to go through with this! YOU should. I hope you burn in HELL!" I then spit on his shoe. He laughs for a minute and shakes his head. He then glares at me and growls.  
"I guess the little pig hasn't learned yet...well, too bad. I think it's about time this little piggy got SLAUGHTERED." I try to crawl away with my one working arm, but he stomps on it and twists his foot into my arm. He swings the bat really high and I feel a surging pain travel down my spine. I start sobbing really badly and then I feel something crash against my skull.  
And then...  
Nothing.  
_


	7. Chapter 7

Seven.

Nothing feels right. I can't feel anything at all. I barely even have the strength to open my eyes. It's getting hard to breathe and the air feels musty and dark, like I'm drowning. I try to move my arms, but a surging pain runs up my left side and I can barely move my right. I cough and hear something slowly patter onto the floor. I knew I was hurt really badly, but I couldn't remember anything. I tried to force myself to remember, but nothing came through. Something hit me in the side, and it didn't feel good.  
"Hey, little piggy…are you awake yet?" I recognized that voice. Right then, all of the memories came surging right back to me. I was locked up.  
With Jason.  
He kicked me again, harder this time. I moaned a bit and he only snorted.  
"Awh, is the little piggy in pain? Too fucking bad." I knew he was going to hurt me. Maybe even kill me. And then…I hear sobs. But they aren't coming from me. They're coming from Jason.  
"Oh Coraline, what's wrong with me? What the hell is wrong with me? How could I do this to you? I love you. I should be the one in this situation, not you…I feel like a monster!" I believe him. I can't really talk, otherwise I would've said something to him. He gently picks me up and takes me over to a soft, comfortable bed. He starts mending my wounds and I feel more pain, but I'm basically numb. At least…I feel numb. He kisses me on the forehead and I close my eyes. I drift off to sleep, but something doesn't feel right. Something is very wrong here. Something dark and evil is thriving, and it's going to kill me.

I haven't been able to keep track of time. I feel a lot better, but I'm starving. I haven't been given food for a while, only water. I can breathe better and actually walk, but I know it'll be a while before I can do anything else. Jason isn't in the room. Strange. He's always here whenever I wake up. He never leaves. I decide to wait for him, but something snaps in my mind.  
_What the HELL am I doing? Waiting for my destruction? I think not._  
I get up and examine the room. The lighting still isn't very great, but I can only make out a single bed, a beat up desk with keys on the top, and something is in the corner of the room. I walk over to the desk. I had seen Jason stash my cell phone there. Maybe I could call and get help. I take the keys and try to open the drawer, but it won't budge. I cuss a bit and kick it as hard as I could, and something falls. I immediately feel the floor, and I eventually find my phone. I turn it on, but NO SERVICE is flashing on the screen. I walked all over the room, and there still wasn't any service. I knew I had no hope. And then…something smelled like dirt. I had never smelled that before. At that instant, I knew Jason was back. I put the keys back on the desk and stuff my phone under the mattress pad, hoping he won't notice. Something also smells like alcohol and cigarettes, and it creates a fowl feeling in my stomach. I lie back in bed and pretend to be asleep, scared out of my mind. Jason walks over and seems to examine me. Seemingly satisfied, he walks off and unlocks a drawer. Something cocks. I think it's a…gun. Suddenly, the whole room is filled with light and somebody jumps in. I immediately sit up in the bed, hoping it's somebody who will help me. And to my luck, it's Wybie. And he doesn't look very happy. He snarls at Jason, almost like a wolf. Jason just smiles and points the gun at Wybie. I fight off a scream. Jason points it at me instead, and I feel something rip through my shoulder. Blood is pouring out. The same sensation appears in my stomach, and I fall on the floor. In an instant, I knew that he had shot me. I couldn't feel anything. I only heard yelling and things crashing all over the place. The gun was fired again, and something fell. I couldn't even think. I could barely even breathe. Someone was talking but I couldn't understand a thing they were saying. I blacked out just before the sirens appeared.  
…


	8. Chapter 8

"Alright dirtbag. I found you. It's time we settled this. I knew something was wrong with you…you scum! How could you do this to her?" Wybie screamed at him. Jason only laughed, and cocked his gun. He pointed it at Wybie, smirking like a hyena.  
"Her? You mean that thing? She's an object…" Jason almost whispered in the air, as if he were a demon.  
"She…is not an object! She's a human being! This isn't right! You can't treat her like this, you just can't!" Wybie shouted again, angry tears welling up in his eyes. He couldn't believe that such a monster existed. Jason used to make him feel cold and scared, but now all he felt was rage towards him.  
_It's too dark…I won't be able to see him too well…_Wybie thought to himself. He pulled a pistol from his jacket, cocked it, and shot three bullets into the top of the building. Almost instantly, three beams of air shot down, and he could see how badly Coraline was injured. It made him sick. She basically looked like a dog's chew toy. Jason suddenly grabbed Wybie's neck, and clenched tightly. He started choking, and his eyes went wide.  
"Listen…you'll never be able to kill me. I am eternal!" Jason practically screamed.  
_This is satanic! What in the hell is wrong with this kid? _Wybie thought. He mustered up his strength, and spat into Jason's eyes, making his grip slip. Wybie took that moment instantly, and slammed Jason up against the dirt wall. A few rocks clattered to the floor, and Coraline's stale breathing was the only thing anybody could hear. Jason smirked, and pressed his gun to Wybie, and pulled the trigger.  
_Click.  
_No bullets.  
"What the hell? No!" Jason looked scared now. He seemed ready to pee his pants in fear. He kept clicking the trigger. _Click, click, click, click, click. _It sounded like a nervous man clicking his pen at an interview. Wybie kneed him in the gut, and Jason gasped, dropping the gun. Wybie immediately pressed the pistol to his head.  
_Thmp thmp.  
Can I really kill another man…?  
Thmp thmp, thmp thmp, thmp thmp…_The sound of two racing hearts echoed in the stale air.  
"Please…please don't kill me…" Jason whimpered, as if he were an injured puppy dog.  
"No human deserves to die…" Wybie said silently. Jason almost seemed to light up, until he saw the cold hatred in Wybie's eyes. They were looking right at each other, as if they were trying to read what was going on through their eyes.  
"But you aren't even human, Jason. You deserve to die because of what you did to Coraline. I hope the Devil makes you pay dearly." A single tear dripped to the floor, and Jason was sobbing.  
"Please d-"  
_Bang!  
_Jason's eyes went extremely wide, and his body collapsed to the floor, blood seeping from his skull. Wybie knelt down, and placed his hand over Jason's eyes, closing them. He stood up slowly, and tossed the pistol by Jason. He pulled a paper from his pocket, and unfolded it slowly.  
_MISSING: Coraline Jones. Eye colour: Brown. Height: 5" 4'. Last seen at school. Fifteen year old girl. If any information, please report to the Pink Palace at once, or your local police station.  
_"She's been found…there's no need to worry anymore." Wybie told himself, and he crushed the paper in his hand.  
He took out his cell phone, and dialed 911. He pulled himself out of the hole, and waited for the officers. The Jones' family rushed over, and hugged him tightly.  
Everything seemed to be alright, and he knew it was.  
Jason was gone.  
He was finally gone. _  
_…  
_Sirens. Again. I'm in the same situation I was not too long ago. The only different part is that I might not survive this one. The air is still, nothing is moving. Something is groaning, and I hear Jason cursing under his breath and crying. A single bullet is fired, and something clatters to the floor. I can't think. I can't do anything.  
Wybie's dead.  
Just like in the beginning, this is how it will end. Not being able to do one damn thing._

…  
Coraline Jones awakened in a hospital room.  
Everything was white and new.  
She still didn't feel the best, but it was better than before she had…  
Wybie!  
"Wybie…" She groaned silently. She hoped to God he wasn't dead.  
_Please, please, please…  
_"Coraline…" Wybie practically sighed her name, and Coraline started to cry. He wasn't dead after all, and that was all she had hoped for. All she could ever hope for.  
"Listen, I know you're weak, so I won't make you talk. I…I killed Jason. He's long gone…he can't ever hurt you again, I swear. I promise, I'm going to help you get better no matter what it takes. I'm so sorry I didn't do anything before…" Wybie told her carefully, as if he were a living bomb. Coraline smiled lightly, she was getting more of her strength back.  
"Don't…be sorry…thank you…for killing…him…" She managed to force out of herself.  
They sat there alone in silence. Coraline enjoyed the silence, though. Before, she had only heard devious and haunting whispers in the silence. The silence scared her.  
Everything now seemed pure and right. She wasn't afraid anymore. Inside her, a voice seemed to talk.  
_Psh, Coraline Jones, scared? I can't believe it. You had lost yourself, and now you're back. How's it feel?  
_"It feels…really good…" She answered herself. Wybie gave her a strange glance, but only laughed. That was like the real Coraline, after all. Coraline smiled too.  
_You ARE Coraline Jones after all. So man up! No more of this scared crap. _

_It's been about a year after the "incident", as my psychiatrist likes to call it, and everything has been going great. Wybie asked me out to a date, and I finally said yes. I wasn't afraid of my own shadow for once.  
I often think about the experience. Maybe it was good for me, in a strange sense. I'm more self sufficient now, and I don't fuss over the stupid little things anymore. Sure, the scars aren't much fun to deal with, but as they say, they're the highway to the soul or whatever. Well, my soul is pretty badass, if I say so myself.  
_Coraline shut her notebook, and sighed. She hated writing in one, but she secretly enjoyed it. She opened her window, and breathed in the fresh air.  
Today was the day.  
She told her mom she was going outside, and grabbed her phone off of the counter before strolling out. She picked some pretty flowers from her parent's garden. She held them tightly as she began to walk toward the forest. The cat followed in step behind her and she smiled at it. She even stopped to stroke it for a second. She made her way past the broken branches and the gopher holes, and finally to the place.  
Jason's grave.  
It was now just a mound of dirt with a cross staked into it. The police had come and taken everything out of the room as evidence. Jason's mother was notified of the attack, and had fled the country. Nobody had heard from her since. Coraline sighed and dug a small hole by the grave, and placed the flowers carefully inside, burying the hole back up. She stared at the grave for a second.  
"I hope you finally found your happiness, Jason. I know I have. I hope you found your real self again, and that your demons are long gone. What you did wasn't right at all and the pain I felt was tremendous. I forgive you, though. I know that's what you always wanted, just to be forgiven and accepted. I hope you feel that now. Goodbye once and for all."  
And with that, she got up, brushed the dirt off of her jeans, and walked away.  
She never visited the grave again.

**I think we can all agree that this ending does not suck as badly as the last one, lol.  
Now "The Secret" is officially over. This fanfiction was fun, and I thank all of you who read it, added it to their alerts, reviewed it, and favorited it. Your support is very much appreciated!  
Be sure to check out my other stories. Again, thank you so much. :)**


End file.
